US embassy cable - 04AMMAN6305

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006305 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR, 
I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN 
USAID/ANE/MEA 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH 
PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: KMDR JO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON DARFUR CRISIS, ISRAEL'S 
NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND IRAQ 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead stories in all papers today, July 26 highlight 
local and regional issues.  Front pages focus on King 
Abdullah's visit to Korea.  Reports also highlight 
remarks made to the press by Israeli nuclear expert 
Mordechai Vanunu about the potential dangers to 
residents (including Jordanians) of the area near the 
Israeli nuclear reactor at Dimona.  Papers carry the 
Jordanian Government's denial of radiation dangers to 
Jordanians from the Israeli reactor. 
 
   Editorial Commentary on Israel's Nuclear Weapons 
 
-- "The greatest danger that threatens the region" 
 
Daily columnist Mahmoud Rimawi writes on the op-ed 
page of semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai 
(07/26):  "Mordechai Vanunu is not just an Israeli 
witness.  He is more than that.  He is a nuclear 
expert and he previously worked in the nuclear 
facilities before he exposed the Hebrew State's 
nuclear arsenal..  Vanunu says that the nuclear 
facilities [in Israel] are the greatest danger 
threatening the Middle East..  The IAEA,  and its 
Director Dr. Barad'i, should give due attention to 
Vanunu's warnings, and on this occasion not act the 
way Barad'i did when he visited Tel Aviv last, with 
his near justification for the Israeli government's 
ownership of these facilities." 
 
-- "Vanunu to the forefront again" 
 
Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(07/26):  "Vanunu's remarks push the forefront the 
issue of complaints in the south about the effect of 
Israel's nuclear reactor on our people in Wadi Araba 
and the south..  Do we just ignore Vanunu's 
statements?  It is necessary to conduct new and 
accurate studies about radiations in the region.  We 
have read more than one Israeli report about the aged 
and insufficient means of isolation and leakage 
prevention.  We do not know what Israel does with 
nuclear waste.  This is because Israel's nuclear 
activities and its famous nuclear reactor are the only 
ones that have never undergone international 
inspection..  The other important thing is to build on 
Vanunu's remarks in order to stir an international 
campaign against Israel's rejection of international 
monitoring..  Why should the Arab countries give in to 
keeping nuclear facilities and activities outside the 
realm of inspection and monitoring when they could be 
directly affected?" 
 
         Editorial Commentary on Darfur Crisis 
 
 
-- "Please close the Darfur file" 
 
Columnist Hussein Rawashdeh writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(07/26):  "I hope that the Sudanese government will 
quickly close the Darfur file, because this `wound' 
that has been bleeding for over a year and half gave 
Washington both the pretext and the timing to 
internationalize this complex `humanitarian' issue and 
turn it into a hot political issue that could allow it 
to go into Sudan in order to finalize plans for 
`disintegration' that has already started in the 
south.  We have sympathy for the disastrous situation 
that befell the tens of thousands of civilians in 
Darfur.  We also realize the Sudanese government's 
negligence in addressing this situation, and we see 
the lack of an Arab or Islamic initiative that would 
put an end to the conflict.  However, there are other 
facts that seem more dangerous than this humanitarian 
aspect that Washington, London and others claim to 
have pity for, although this `pity' did not appear in 
many other places that are suffering much more than 
the Sudanese in Darfur, be it Palestine, Chechnya or 
other countries where minorities are facing ethnic 
cleansing, extermination and uprooting.  One of these 
facts is that the process of dividing Sudan has 
actually been placed on Washington's agenda..  Another 
fact is the timing of the process to reconsider 
distribution of the waters of the Nile, wherein an 
agreement with the rebels of the south would mean that 
America really has Egypt `by the balls' and is holding 
on to the focal point of the national security of the 
biggest Arab country.  If we remember reports years 
ago about an Israeli role in investing in and planning 
for using the Nile and revitalizing the Sudanese 
south, and add to that the Falasha immigration, the 
picture would be complete, where the new Sudan, with 
its divisions and multiple pressures, would be a base 
for America, just like Iraq is on the other side." 
 
             Editorial Commentary on Iraq 
 
-- "In defense of the Anglo-American intelligence 
services" 
 
Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back page of 
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai 
(07/26):  "The American and British intelligence 
services are suffering from accusations and extreme 
criticism for their alleged failure in the so-called 
information about the presence of weapons of mass 
destruction in Iraq and the presence of a relationship 
between Iraq and Al-Qaeda.  This information was the 
basis on which the two countries launched a 
comprehensive war on Iraq, which was portrayed as a 
threat to the safety and security of America, Britain 
and the world.  These accusations are unfair. 
American intelligence services did not mislead U.S. 
President Bush.  They knew the truth just as much as 
the people did, but the President and his aides in the 
White House and the Department of Defense did not 
leave the intelligence services any other choice. 
They decided to invade Iraq first, then assigned the 
intelligence services to look for reasons and 
justifications, and under pressure, these services had 
to comply..  The same applies to the British 
intelligence services, known as the best intelligence 
apparatus in the world.  They too responded to 
political pressure and said that Iraqi weapons of mass 
destruction can be ready for launch in 45 minutes.. 
The conclusion of investigative committees in 
Washington and London is that intelligence services 
have the professional duty of giving political 
officials the facts as they are and not tailoring 
information to comply with their demand for facts 
suitable for their projects.  The investigative 
committees did not, however, conclude that politicians 
should not ask intelligence services for tailor-made 
information and facts in the first place."    HALE